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With the Trade Deadline in the rearview mirror, the Chicago Cubs’ brass was finally able to come up for a breather – a short one – to address the media about how things went, and where the organization goes from here. Obviously, the primary focus of their interviews was the Ryan Dempster trade, but they also touched a fair bit on the non-trade of Matt Garza.

Among the notable quotes from President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein (which are culled from a large handful of articles):

On balancing a player’s no-trade rights and still trying to make a trade: “It created a market of one up until about 15 minutes to go. That’s just the nature of 10-5 rights. It allows a player to say ‘I won’t be traded, period.’ Ryan didn’t do that. They allow a player to say ‘I’ll go anywhere you want.’ They allow a player to say ‘This is my preferred destination. I want you do everything you can to work out a deal there. And if you absolutely can’t, at the last minute maybe I’ll consider other places.'”

On the failed Atlanta Braves deal for Ryan Dempster: “He didn’t technically say ‘no.’ He said ‘No, not now. I’m not going to go to Atlanta before I see about L.A.’ And Atlanta, very reasonably, didn’t want to wait around and risk not getting a pitcher …. Ryan never got the opportunity, for, I’d say, more than an hour, to fully contemplate Atlanta with a deal actually in place. I feel for him. All of a sudden, instead of having time to contemplate it privately, he had everyone telling him what to do, everyone asking him questions about it, and it became a nuisance for him. I think it’s really hard to criticize Ryan. I think it’s unfortunate. But he certainly wasn’t blindsided because we had been telling him for days that Atlanta was a very likely destination and we were going to have to make a final decision.”

On the Cubs letting Demspter listen in on phone calls with the Dodgers on Tuesday: “It was an unusual situation. But I think it as helpful to have him there so he could hear first-hand that [the Dodgers deal] wasn’t going to happen. If someone wants to really go to a place, you can tell him over and over it’s not going to happen. But unless they’re convinced of that, they’re not going to want to move on to their second choice.”

On the possibility of trading Matt Garza at the deadline: “Clearly, a healthy Matt Garza would have been a very sought-after player at this deadline. Whether we would have done something or not, it’s hard to say, but we didn’t get a chance to fully explore it. When a buying team’s last data point is seeing a guy walk off a mound holding his elbow, it’s not the kind of thing they want to act upon.”

On the status of extension talks with Garza, and the future for him: “Everything’s still in play. We did have talks earlier in the season. They didn’t come to fruition. I think when that type of thing happens, you have to be open-minded about moving a player. But certainly there’s a time and place to address an extension again …. It’s too early to say [what we’ll do]. We’ll see what our situation looks like and what the market looks like.”

Among the notable quotes from General Manager Jed Hoyer (which are similarly culled from a large handful of articles):

On the mechanics of putting together the Rangers deal for Ryan Dempster: “He held pretty firm on the Dodgers thing. I was actually really glad he was in our office for the last couple of hours. It was probably fun for him. He was able to sort of see how we work and see what happens. He sat in an office and watched himself on TV. Then we sort of briefed him on where we were and I don’t remember exactly what time but at some point he said ‘OK, if this Dodgers thing isn’t going to work, then he was willing to open it up to a handful of teams.’ That’s why it came together late. We talked to teams a little bit but we weren’t going to spend tons of time and lead teams down a road that wasn’t going to happen. We didn’t want to do that. We had to, not scramble, but work pretty hard at the end to find a suitable deal for him.”

On why Dempster didn’t go to Atlanta: “He felt he had a place he wanted to go, he knew what he wanted. It wasn’t that he was unprepared to make a decision [about the Braves], but when the decision came, and the finality of it, I think he wanted to wait a little longer and explore his options.”

On the state of the relationship with Dempster, and the future: “With Ryan certainly this was an unusual situation over the last 10 days or so. But I think you all know his personality. He was sitting in our office and there has never been any personal animosity. I think between Theo and Ryan and me it has always been really amicable. He’s a great guy. There is a reason he is a fan favorite here and that’s the reason we would always welcome him back here. I give him credit, last year was a down year for him and a difficult year for him. What he has done this year has been phenomenal. I give him a lot of credit bouncing back and having a great year.”

On the unpredictability of baseball and trades: “You never know what twists or turns are going to happen. Ten days ago, I didn’t expect Ryan not going to Atlanta. Matt [Garza] ended up getting hurt. You don’t expect those things to happen.”

On whether Garza’s triceps injury made trying to trade him more difficult: “It certainly did. It’s hard. Teams ultimately shied away. They had not seen the guy out on the mound. It certainly hurt his market. It hurt the number of phone calls we got on him because he wasn’t going to pitch until after the deadline.”

+1 on that Doc. The FO let him listen in on the phone like we did when we were teens…

This is how I see it happening.

Jed: “hey Ned, this is Jed”
Ned: “Jed?”
Jed: “you know Jed from the NL CentrAl?”
Ned: “oh yeah?, oh Jed yes now I remember”
Jed: “how are you?”
Dempster: (picking up the other phone in Jed’s office holding his hand over the mouthpiece)
Ned: “good good”
Jed: “do you know my friend Ryan Dempster?”
Dempster: (silent but giggling almost uncontrolably)
Ned: “is that the weird guy that thinks he’s funny?”
Dempster: (angry faced now)
Jed: “maybe?, he’s really nice and I think he might like your team a lot?”
Dempster: (biting his nails and starting to breathe heavy)
Ned: “ok???”
Jed: “what I’m saying is, is there any chance you might… Like him too?, we kind of like zach Lee and Allan webster….”
Ned: “lolololol, lmao!!!!lmfao!!!!haaha!!
Dempster: (very nervous looking at Jed with his shoulders shrugging)
Ned: click

EQ76

It’s good to hear how it all went down. In the long run, it’s hard to hate on Demp too much for this.. maybe it will work out better with the arms we got.

JB88

I really can’t agree with this. Frankly, Theo and Jed’s comments show me even more so how Dempster blindsided the Cubs, not the other way around. Clearly, Demp changed his mind after the ATL trade occurred. I can hold that against him, no matter what his reasons.

Now, that said, there is no way in the world that the Cubs land both Vizcaino and Delgado. It was frankly one or the other. To that degree, I actually think the Cubs maximized things more in this situation. No way the Cubs are able to trade Maholm & Johnson for a Vizcaino-like return. The reality is that the Cubs probably ended up with a greater return by trading Maholm to ATL and Dempster elsewhere.

What bothers me is that Dempster doubted Theo and Jed for over a week, I’m guessing, when they told him that LA wasn’t that interested in him. That’s what chaps my ass. I’m over Delgado, but Dempster held the Cubs up. And that ticks me off.

But in the end, I think the Cubs actually probably did better than they would have if Dempster had gone to ATL for Delgado.

JB88

And I should clarify. My disagreement with your post (and other posts like it) EQ76, is the part about hating on Dempster. As my lengthy monologue shows, I agree with you on the return likely being better in the longterm.

EQ76

Yeah, trust me I’ve been pissed at Demp for a week and a half.. I guess I’m thinking that this type of thing may happen more often than we think but we don’t always hear about it. We may, in the long run, have gotten 2 really good starting pitchers out of this trade deadline, which would soften the blow of what Demp did.

Jonski

Good post …in the 3 trades that the Cubs made they got some prospects that will help the bullpen next year along with a 3rd base prospect and maybe a back of the rotation guy.The million dollar question is do you make Vizcaino your closer and build around him or do you stick him in the rotation hope he comes up with a 3rd pitch and avoids the injury bug.

JB88

Given all the pitchers that the Cubs have stretched out in the minors this year, I fully expect they will try to start Vizcaino until if/when it is apparent that he can’t start.

Leroy K.

I am not playing a game of I told you so. There is ALWAYS more to a story than anyone realizes…

Matt

Exactly, it was sad to see some fans revert to the behavior that was shown after the Bartman incident.

Greyfury

Amen to that.

Master Dan

I’m 100% sure the Dodgers will regret not anteing up for Dempster. I think he would of fit really nicely in LA and possibly help lead LA to a division crown/world series title. If LA falls just short, we can point back to this trade that never was.

Chris

He’ll probably just sign with them in the offseason anyway. They’ll miss him during the playoff push this year, but he’ll probably end up there in 2013.

Mick

I’m not so sure that Dempster will sign w/LA in the off-season. Depending on what he overheard on that phonecall he might feel differently about LA. Plus, don’t overlook Hoyer’s comment, “There is a reason he is a fan favorite here and that’s the reason we would always welcome him back here”.

scorecardpaul

I think they were just glad demp was leaving the team. I think they were just trying to be professional with that comment. If you really care, dig in and find out for yourself. There are many sides to all stories.
I see no way at all that he returns to the Cubs. I may be wrong on this also, but I don’t think so.

Mick

Yea, Demp still has a good few years left and has seemed to hit his prime so, I’d doubt he’d come back on anything less than a 3-year deal in which case the Cubs would have to decline. I was just discounting the foregone conclussion that Demp would sign w/LA in the off-season. Whatever was said on that conference call swayed Demp enough to change his mind about going to LA. Also, if you look at LA’s SPs, they’re all signed through at least 2013. I think Demp will have a lot of options this off-season as to where to play. I’m actually kind of hoping he winds up here in Minneapolis. The Twins are THIN at SP and Demp’s the exact type of player they always sign.

Patrick G

Brett/Luke,

Any idea of when Villanueva and Hendricks will start Playing for Boise? And the other guys we got from ATL and TEX, they were in AAA, chance they’ll be September callups?

http://www.worldseriesdreaming.com dabynsky

Not Brett or Luke, but Hendricks and Villanueva were in advanced A for Texas before being traded. I would guess they ended up in Daytona. Brigham probably goes to TN and Chapman has already pitched for Iowa. Vizcaino isn’t going to be throwing til 2013 at the earliest.

Chris

Hendricks and Villanueva were assigned to Daytona yesterday. Brigman went to Tennessee. Chapman is in Iowa, as you’ve stated. Vizcaino will probably be placed on the 60-day DL. If not, he’ll be on the 40 man roster and the 15 day DL. He was previously on the 40 man roster for the Braves prior to his injury. My guess is he was on the 60-day DL at the time of the trade.

http://www.worldseriesdreaming.com dabynsky

I was pretty sure that happened, but I wasn’t positive.

Patrick G

Ya I meant Daytona not sure why I said Boise. Thanks all

Xoomwaffle

The lead story on the D Cubs website is about them adding Villanueva and Hendricks:

I’m still a little bit peeved by Dempster, but I have to say- I like how things worked out. If Vizcaino can recover to be healthy, I like him more than Delgado (IMO). And Hendricks sounds like a pitcher who could be effective because he seems to limit baserunners. Plus Villanueva might be our legit 3B prospect (sounds like a good hitter, but better defense than Vitters).

hansman1982

Hopefully the front office learns from this and includes a stubborn player in on the phone calls a little sooner.

But this has been my favorite trade deadline since the 2004 acquisition of Nomah.

Eric

And with that, I think we’ve probably gotten all of the information about the Dempster saga that we’re ever going to get. Ultimately, I would welcome him back here next year. The Delgado deal falling through was unfortunate, but I like what I’m hearing about the Villenueva kid.

MaxM1908

Actually, as critical as I am of Dempster and his actions, I would welcome him back next year on a team friendly deal. I’d still always remember the trade that wasn’t, but as long as he came back and was a productive member of the team, I’d let bygones be bygones. Actually whether or not the FO pursues him in the offseason may be very telling if there are really no hard feelings. If they do pursue him, I’ll believe that all this isn’t just lip service to the media and the fans. If they don’t, I’ll think there’s probably more to the story then they’re letting on right now.

scorecardpaul

good point, lets see if he comes back. I think that will tell us a lot!!!!

Scotti

If he doesn’t return that is likely more indicative of there being 30 teams in MLB rather than some harbored animosity from Theo/Jed.

Brian Peters

These “sage words” make it even more clear that Dempster acted like a spoiled brat. The brass invited him to sit in with them–not because they HAD to, but to prove a point: “LA doesn’t want your friggin’ butt.”. Now that Demp is gone, people’s views of his actions will take on a rose-colored tint among some folks. Not with me, though, and here’s why: theo/jed state that Dempster didn’t say “no” to the ATL deal. Technically, they are correct, and they have to be professional and say “he had a right to do this stuff.”. BUT, by Dempster saying he needed time, he was saying “no” because surely he knew he doesn’t have the stuff like Verlander or Weaver that teams would be willing to hear from. It’s interesting: in an espn article from yesterday, hoyer made it clear that Dempster had known for a week more prior to last Monday’s “deal” that ATL had been the most aggressive in trying to land his services, so any “time” Dempster said he needed, he already got.

LOCAL IDIOT

GET OVER IT!

Ted

This is as clear of a public lambasting of a player this front office will ever do. Professionals like those in this FO wouldn’t say things that squarely put blame on his shoulders — “he wasn’t blindsided,” “he wouldn’t believe us until he sat in the room,” “I didn’t expect Ryan not going to Atlanta” — unless they’re really upset.

Devin

We should be glad that he actually accepted a trade at all with his 10-5 rights.

Still, Delgado would have been nice…

Internet Random

We should be glad that he actually accepted a trade at all with his 10-5 rights.

This reminds of me of the Chris Rock bit: “That’s what you’re supposed to do”.

When you say you’re going to do something, that’s what you’re supposed to do.

Once he had his no-trade rights, he had absolutely zero obligation even to consider a trade… until he made other representations.

Sometimes it’s difficult to do the right thing. I understand that, but it doesn’t change what the right thing to do is. And whether something is understandable, excusable, and/or forgivable, doesn’t change whether it was right.

Devin

Agreed. He said Atlanta was ok. Then he went back on his word. It’s a little pathetic honestly. For a man who has said that the organization had given so much to him and that he wanted to give back, he went back on his word.

But sometimes, you got to do what’s best for you; even if you do say that you want to do right by the organization.

Now we wait to see if we got screwed or if it turns out to be a great situation.

DocPeterWimsey

Yes and no. Atlanta (or Texas) was OK: but only if a deal could not be reached with the Dodgers. There still was a week for Jedstein to work out a deal with the Dodgers when this went down.

It is pretty obvious that Dempster really wanted the deal to be with LA, and that he basically needed the Dodgers to tell him “we don’t want you” before he’d accept that it was not going to happen.

MaxM1908

But didn’t LA indicate that the week prior to the Delgado trade? One thing that’s bothered me about this whole situation and the explanations offered is that everyone seems to be forgetting that the Cubs dealt almost exclusively with LA for most of July. It was about a week prior to the Delgado trade that negotiations broke down and public reports were that the Dodgers were no longer interested in Dempster and that the Cubs asking price was too high. Didn’t Demp get the message then? It’s not like the front office hadn’t given their best efforts with LA prior to all the hoopla. The genuinely tried but the Dodgers made it clear they wouldn’t give up any of their top ten prospects for Dempster. I don’t like that Dempster still seemed to have it in his head that something could be worked out when it was clear they didn’t want to give anything up for him. I would have thought that his ego would have been hurt by the Greinke trade in which the Angels gave up a haul for a two month rental of an only slightly better pitcher (possibly open for debate, but I think Dempster has been even better than Greinke this year). It just kills me that he couldn’t let the Dodgers go. As someone said earlier, it’s like he’s the creepy ex-boyfriend who doesn’t take a hint.

MoneyBoy

This is my opinion …

Demp wanted to go, he’s gone. He wanted a spring training site in AZ. TX trains in Sunrise, AZ. It’s not ATL, and because it’s not, we got to trade Maholm & RJ for a 2 pitchers, Demp & Soto to TX (sep. trades) for 2 pitchers and a 3rd baseman.

Organizational pitching depth was EH&Co’s top priority. They seem to have done pretty well, by most accounts, in getting relatively good prospects.

Lots more to be done. But I’m pretty damn glad this came down the way it did!!

elizarudi15

I still think the Braves “beat” Theo/Jed on this one…

FromFenwayPahk

OK. Why do you think this?

FromFenwayPahk

“When a buying team’s last data point is seeing a guy walk off a mound holding his elbow, it’s not the kind of thing they want to act upon.”

For example, I did get a double, Vizcaino-induced shiver down my spine when I read this quote. But hey, I’m a worrier.

elizarudi15

Because the trade was not completed and it was on based on their terms. I think they made a better trade in getting Maholm anyway and they still have their best prospect.

JB88

To be clear, though, Delgado was not the Braves’ best prospect. Probably a top 5 prospect in their system. Before Vizcaino’s injury, he was pretty well seen as the Braves’ second best prospect. The biggest question is whether he can recover from the arm surgery and stay healthy, but receiving Vizcaino back, while a big risk, could provide even more reward than Delgado.

Deez

The learning experience is never sign guys to contracts longer than 5 years or give out no trade clauses. Give them more money, so when the times come to trade them, you can trade them.

Scotti

Oh my! The Cubs would never win if they followed your advice. They would never sign their own plus players to extentions, never sign top free agents and they would be forever rebuilding. And why? Because of the difference between what we got and what we may have gotten in return for Dempster/Maholm. Many of us actually PREFER the deal that we got.

Fortunately. Theo has never been shy about giving out NTCs and signing guys passed their 10-5 rights.

scorecardpaul

I am still amazed by all of the dempster love. It is easy to read an article or two about a subject and have your feelings swayed. I am hoping that this is what is going on here. If a person really cared about the situation then they would have been watching for themselves from the beginning. I still do not believe that any of us who were truely watching this whole process unfold for the last month all the way up until the end will change our opinion on how Mr. d handled this situation.
We all have the right to believe, or feel however we want, I am just amazed how biased the reporting from this site has become. A story can be spun however it wants to be spun, and yes we as fans have the right to feel any way we want to feel.
If for no other reason, he is now just an average player, and a Ranger to boot. I have spent a lot of years grumbling about Albert the poowhole and he is one of the best players I have seen. He is on the other team!!! I am a Cub fan !!!

Devin

Yelling that “You are a Cub Fan” doesn’t make you better than anyone else here. Get off your high horse.

scorecardpaul

When I am saying I am a Cub fan, I am saying I don’t root for players who play for another team. Dempster talked a big talk, and in the end he ended up hurting the Cubs. That is my point. I am a Cubs fan, and you can bet that if I had a horse who was high that I would ride him proudly!!!! (right down your street if possible)

Brian Peters

I am glad he took the deal. I am stuck on what I consider to be very important…..the principle and this concept anyone can do whatever they damn well please and expect folks to forgive them…….AND THEY DO!!!!!!! About 6 months, I left a place I had worked for two years. I was HIGHLY respected across the board, gave them a full two weeks’ notice, they paid close to 300 bucks on a send off party. And now nobody from there will talk to me because I did alot of extra work I wasn’t paid for and my replacement won’t do it. Now, let’s see what Dempster did and see if there’s not something wrong here!!!!

AB

uh…what?

http://calebshreves.blogspot.com Caleb

Even with clearer picture of what happened, I still hold nothing against Demp. People forget that his “position” started with the fact that he loves Chicago, loves the Cubs, and was willing to accept a trade that–regardless of the destination–he probably didn’t want in the first place.

It’s basically a guy who didn’t have to give anything, then offered to give something anyway, and got sh*t for not giving enough. Whether he was indecisive, “blindsided” the front office, or made things difficult, he was still doing something good for the team that he had no obligation to do.

Still one of my favorite Cubs!

baseballet

Well said Caleb!

Internet Random

It’s always easier to ignore the transgressions of those you like.

Defendants deemed to be attractive are substantially more likely to be acquitted.

TWC

I’ll NEVER be convicted.

Internet Random

I wouldn’t stand a chance.

hansman1982

Do you have pictures of your local judge?

Cause you ain’t pretty and noone likes you.

BAZINGA!!!!

Kevin

I’m sure the FO will follow accordingly.

Myles

Honestly, I think things worked out more than fine. If Dempster is traded for Delgado, where does Maholm go? Probably not the Rangers or Dodgers. Maybe the Nationals or Blue Jays but far from certain. We ended up getting a little less (maybe, Delgado is no sure thing either) for Dempster but ended up dealing Maholm (who was probably more difficult to deal) for a prospect that many people (myself included) like a good deal more than Delgado anyway.

TJ candidates are a great buy-low opportunity; the success rate is only getting higher for guys like that and I trust very much that a team that is so far from being great will give Arodys all the time in the world.

All things considered, the Cubs got rid of absolutely nothing that was going to be a part of the next good Cubs team and got plenty of pieces that COULD be on that team. That’s the definition of a good trade deadline because we can’t know anything else for certain.

In Jed I trust.

fortyonenorth

What’s the current thinking on TJ surgery? How many guys make it back and how many never return to form. A decade ago it was pretty dicey stuff, but it seems very commonplace today.

http://www.worldseriesdreaming.com dabynsky

The odds of him coming back is pretty high. Command is usually the last thing to comes back, but TJS is pretty routine at this point in time. There are some guys that are never the same, but usually the arm comes back as strong as it was prior to the surgery.

Stu

Dempster might actually realize that CUBS went out of their way for him and that might pay a dividend in the long run. Would they sign him back for next year? Highly unlikely.

What this does is send a message to all of the players who WILL sign in the offseason that the FO bends over backwards to take care of players. That might be the difference in signing a club friendly contract with players who the FO really want.

Everything is about image to these guys and they played this one great.

Edwin

I don’t really see how the front office went out of their way to help Dempster. They were faced with the option of either finding a trade that Dempster would accept, or keep Dempster and possibly offer him a qualifying offer. They managed to trade him, which was the better business move. Not trading Dempster out of spite, or trying to “punish” Dempster is just bad business. I don’t think the Cubs did any more or any less than other teams would do in a similar situation.

If Dempster didn’t have 10-5 rights, I’m sure Theo and Hoyer wouldn’t give two shits where Dempster wanted to go. Teams/owners don’t really owe players anything more than what they agree to pay them, and players don’t owe their teams anything more than what they’re paid for.

Cooper

I’m not sure the FO went out of their way, but at the same time, I think they treated Dempster respectfully and professionally, which can go a long way for your team image. They could have burned Dempster in the media after the ATL debacle, but by keeping it classy, they show to prospective FAs and agents that they will treat players with dignity. That can go a long way in FA negotiations.

http://BleacherNation Mugsy

Well said Stu, the culture change begins with perception and the FO handled this very well.

bluekoolaidaholic

Sorry, I still think that rights or no rights, he is just a jerk millionaire that couldn’t be inconvenienced for a couple of months for the good of the Cubs like he said. I cannot believe that a multimillionaire couldn’t arrange things to his satisfaction for a couple months till the season was over.
AND also sorry, Delgado, IMHO, was the better option, the Braves made a big mistake that they didn’t repeat later.
I won’t forget this.
I hope the Cubs don’t either although it sounds like they are already rose coloring him.

http://bleachernation.com RicoSanto

Demp burned his bridges with the Cubs. He Will not be back.They need some young arms.

Cooper

I found this article to be an interesting take on Theo’s handling of Dempster:

I am not normally a fan of Rosenbloom, but for once I actually appreciated his perspective…

JB88

I thought the same thing. Moreover, Rosenbloom’s reading of Epstein’s comments square directly with how I read those comments. Epstein wasn’t defending Dempster. Or at least he wasn’t exonerating Dempster. People listening/reading closely could definitely see that Epstein was calling Dempster to the mat.

http://www.bleachernation.com Brett

Rosenbloom, in his usual way, takes Theo’s quotes completely out of context to serve his GRRR-ANGRY-SUDDENLY-I’M-WRITING-ABOUT-THE-CUBS-AGAIN-GRRRR crap. If his column speaks to you, it’s because it reinforces how you already feel, NOT because he’s done a good job of explaining Theo’s quotes. (And that’s totally your right, of course.)

http://www.bleachernation.com Brett

Here’s the example that really demonstrates just how low Rosenbloom is willing to go in service of getting eyeballs:

Oh yeah. That’s another thing: Dempster claimed he was blindsided by the Atlanta deal.

What. A. Crock.

“He certainly wasn’t blindsided because we had been telling him for days that Atlanta was a very likely destination and we were going to have to make a final decision,’’ Epstein said.

For those of you keeping score at home, that’s Epstein calling Dempster a liar.

As Dempster explained MORE THAN A WEEK AGO, and as subsequently confirmed by and explained by Jed, Dempster never said he was blindsided by the FACT of the trade. He said he knew those discussions were ongoing. He was blindsided by the media firestorm that awaited him when he woke up from a nap, asking him about the completed trade to Atlanta.

MaxM1908

Also, I’d like to see Dempster’s actual quote about being blindsided when he first said it. I think he may have backpedaled later and clarified. I can’t find the original quote, though.

http://www.bleachernation.com Brett

I’m not sure you’ll find one (I had trouble). Just paraphrases and then quotes around “blindsided,” because that was always the sexiest angle.

MaxM1908

It would be nice to have the full quote to gauge Dempster’s intention when he said it. Too bad. I think it’s very revealing about Dempster, though, that just hours after the leak happened, he took to twitter saying, “THERE IS NO TRADE dont know where this info came from!” and “My account has not been hacked #RD46″ I think that demonstrates someone who at least wants people to think that he had no idea about what was going on with the negotiations. It’s obvious now that he did have an idea of what was going on, so at best, he was equivocating in his tweet, if not outright lying.

Scotti

Max, there is no trade means there is no trade… anyone here can tell you that when Dempster Tweeted that the media was saying that Dempster HAD been traded. There simply never was a trade.

Lou

Well, it gets worse. On 670 Score, Matt Spiegel was quoted as saying he will be facing Puljos tonight in Texas, who has the greatest offensive performance against him. Spiegel went on to say that because he didn’t want to go ATL (not true, by the way) that he just knows that the AL will beat up on him and can hardly wait to see this go down. Now, well, it might be the case that Dempster’s stats will rise in the AL, I find the comments made to be grandstanding and attention seeking. So, really it doesn’t stop with Rosenbloom.

BeyondFukudome

If it is true that Dempster only said he was blindsided by the media firestorm and not by the fact of the trade, then it is really Theo who was taking Dempster out of context, since Theo clearly was referring to being blindsided by the trade, not by the media. But that would not fit a GRRR-ANGRY-I-HATE–STEVE-ROSENBLOOM-GRRRR narrative.

MaxM1908

Brett, I have a hard time believing that you believe Theo wasn’t talking out of both sides of his mouth in that quote in your second bullet.

“He didn’t technically say ‘no.’” vs. “He said ‘No, not now. I’m not going to go to Atlanta before I see about L.A.’”

“Ryan never got the opportunity, for, I’d say, more than an hour, to fully contemplate Atlanta with a deal actually in place.” vs. “[H]e certainly wasn’t blindsided because we had been telling him for days that Atlanta was a very likely destination and we were going to have to make a final decision.”

And my personal favorite: “I think it’s really hard to criticize Ryan.” followed one sentence later with “But” and a hardly veiled criticism that he wasn’t blindsided as he claimed.

This interview was classic Theo lawyer double-speak. He came off as magnanimous, while all the while providing ammunition to Dempster’s critics.

Rosenbloom is a blow-hard, but his premise is sound.

http://www.bleachernation.com Brett

I think that’s sort of a separate issue from not liking the Rosenbloom piece. I think you can read Theo’s quotes to support whatever narrative you’d like, though. Which suggests you’re spot on: he was speaking out of both sides of his mouth. But that doesn’t mean he was ripping on Dempster.

(I do believe, however, the reports that, at least originally, Epstein was furious with Dempster. No reason to doubt them, and it sure seems plausible.)

MaxM1908

I actually really like the line that Theo walked. I would have been disappointed if he came out and said something to the effect of, “That Ryan Dempster, man, what a dick!” He was very professional. Very open about the situation. And, he said all the right words to make everyone believe there’s no hard feelings. Like I said in an earlier post today, I think the proof will be in the pudding when the offseason comes around and we get a sense of whether Dempster is welcome back to the Cubs organization. If the FO pursues Demp, I’ll believe they aren’t holding a grudge.

JB88

I’m very surprised you read those quotes as forgiving Dempster or even suggesting a large-scale agenda from Rosenbloom with that piece. And frankly I’m a little disappointed in your seeming criticism of those who appreciated Rosenbloom’s article in which he points out that not all was sunny in the Theo-Dempster relationship.

All morning long I’ve seen articles and headlines writing about how the Cubs defended Dempster, etc. That wasn’t how I read those quotes at all. From Epstein saying Dempster had to be shown LA didn’t want him, to giving away they had 15 minutes to make a deal for Dempster, to even Epstein saying the whole “no, not right now.” Those aren’t the comments of a man who had a huge amount of affection for Dempster.

JB88

And to be clear, my comments are directed at Brett.

http://www.bleachernation.com Brett

I didn’t criticize you. I criticized Rosenbloom for reasons unrelated to his position on the story. I explicitly said you’re open to adopting his perspective.

JB88

This is what you wrote:

If his column speaks to you, it’s because it reinforces how you already feel, NOT because he’s done a good job of explaining Theo’s quotes. (And that’s totally your right, of course.)

If you say you did not intend it to be insulting, I’ll take you at your word, but the language you used suggested otherwise.

http://www.bleachernation.com Brett

Genuinely, I’m sorry if that reads insulting, because it totally wasn’t my intent. It’s what I think – I think if that particular piece resonated, it’s because you were already predisposed to feeling like Dempster screwed the Cubs and is the villain. That doesn’t mean I think you (and I don’t necessarily mean “you, JB” – I mean the generic you) are stupid or anything, it just means we really disagree on this one.

Jens

SHNAP O LA ZOOP

JB88

I don’t dislike Dempster. I dislike the manner in which he acted after the Atlanta trade was announced. I also read Epstein and Hoyer’s quotes as less favorable than many media members did. And I think that Rosenbloom is the only media member I read who pointed out that Epstein and Hoyer weren’t all sunshine toward Dempster.

And frankly I doubt that the FO’s views toward Dempster are favorable whatsoever.

It is funny to me that you enjoy parsing Theo’s words so much and don’t automatically see how Epstein’s comments are not positive toward Dempster.

Whiteflag

I’m Steve Rosenbloom like it or not. I’m going with NOT!!!! I agree with you Brett, took those quotes way out of context.

Cooper

Since I posted the link to the article, I’ll also briefly respond.
1. Rosenbloom likes to incite conflict (much in the Jay Mariotti/Skip Bayless fashion), and is quite liberal (to suit his agenda/perspective) in interpreting almost any quote or action.
2. I agree that Rosenbloom uses the Theo and Jed quotes to serve his purpose, and doesn’t provide the entire context for those quotes.
3. At first I, too, was a little offended by your (Brett’s) response. Then I thought about it and saw what you meant. I am no longer offended. I think you maybe could have worded it more gently, but you are spot on that the piece (and any other slanted media story) will speak to those that share the same viewpoint. That is why Rush Limbaugh is so successful – he isn’t providing any news, he is validating peoples existing views.
4. Usually I think Rosenbloom is a blowhard and an instigator. In this article, I actually thought he was fairly tame, and took his thesis to be that Theo and Jed were speaking in veiled and professionalized critiques of what went down.
5. I agree that this is just my opinion.
6. I want to like Dempster, but I do have a sour taste in my mouth for how everything went down.
7. I am pleased with the final outcome and think Theo and Jed did a great job with the cards they were dealt.
8. This is far too long a number list!

Jens

I never realized Dempster was such a narcissistic baby, watching himself on TV and telling everyone what to do.

Scotti

Jens, Dempster “watching himself on TV” is likely Theo/Jed “reminding” him of what the public statements he had made actually were and, perhaps, why Theo/Jed got a little confused. That whole meeting speaks of their attempt to rebuild trust with him (and I can see where trust needed to be rebuilt).

Re. Him telling everyone what to do, well he was simply telling everyone what HE was WILLING to do.

Terry

Dempster should have taken the trade to Atlanta, that was his 2nd choice and he said he wanted to help the Cubs. As far as the Dodgers go I wish they could have done a deal with Dempster and Soriano going,it kind of makes me sick that one of the big reasons Dempster wanted L.A. so much is because of Ted Lillly, this is the Majors not Little Leage.

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